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Smoke & dust

by Joy McCullough-Carranza

Directed by Amy Poisson

Produced in association with Theatre Off Jackson

Intrigue surrounds Barbara Strozzi, an ambitious 17th century composer rumored to be a courtesan. Her brilliance and musical talent are dismissed in a male-dominated profession that stifles female musicians.

In Smoke And Dust, a modern acting troupe explores Strozzi’s music and the personal life of this historical figure: was she a victim, or an empowered woman defying society’s moralistic expectations?

Playwright McCullough-Carranza deftly weaves together past and present as characters in both timelines struggle against the limits society places on a woman’s ambition.